The next revolution in user interface design -- by the original creator of the Apple Macintosh project. Why todays GUIs have reached a dead end -- and what to do about it. What makes a great interface- state-of-the-art research and breakthrough insight. The book every user interface designer will be talking about! The honeymoon with digital technology is over- millions of users are tired of having to learn huge, arcane programs to perform the simplest tasks; fatigued by the pressure of constant upgrades, and have had enough of system crashes. In The Humane Interface, Jef Raskin -- the legendary, controversial creator of the original Apple Macintosh project -- shows that there is another path. Raskin explains why todays interface techniques lead straight to a dead end, and offers breakthrough ideas for building systems users will understand -- and love. Raskin reveals the fundamental design failures at the root of the problems so many users experience; shows how to understand user interfaces scientifically and quantitatively; and introduces fundamental principles that should underlie any next-generation user interface. He introduces practical techniques designers can use to improve their productivity of any product with an information-oriented human-machine interface, from personal computers to Internet appliances and beyond. The book presents breakthrough solutions for navigation, error management, and more, with detailed case studies from Raskins own work. For all interface design programmers, product designers, software developers, IT managers, and corporate managers. Jef Raskin is an independent interface and system design consultant and writer based in Pacifica, CA. His clients include HP, IBM, Motorola, NCR, Xerox, and AT&T. He is best known as the creator of the Macintosh computer project at Apple Computer.

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From Amazon

"The book that explains why you really hate computers."

I've admired Jef Raskin for years. For those who don't know, he is the "Father of the Macintosh," one of the original geniuses who guided the Mac in the early days. But, more than a computer scientist, Raskin is a cognitive psychologist. He studies how the brain works with special emphasis on how that relates to us using computers. His magnum opus was the Canon Cat, which was an excellent and well-thought-out little computer.

In The Humane Interface, Raskin goes into detail describing how computers can be made easier to understand and use. Ever want to know why you really don't like Windows? The answer is in this book. In fact, there's so much in this book that makes sense, I really want to send a copy to every employee at Microsoft.

I loved reading this book and nodding my head in rabid agreement. Raskin states, "There has never been any technical reason for a computer to take more than a few seconds to begin operation when it is turned on." So why then does Windows (or Linux!) take so darn long to start up? The PalmPilot is on instantly, as is your cell phone. But for some reason, we tolerate the computer taking a few eons to start. (And until consumers complain about it, things won't change.)

Computers can be easy to use, and the people who design them and design software need to read this book. Do you ever get the impression that the person who designed a piece of software must have come from the same company that designed the front panel on your VCR? Why should you have to double-click anything? What does Ctrl+D mean one thing in one program and a completely different thing in another? And what's the point of the Yes/No confirmation if the user is in the habit of clicking Yes without thinking about it? Raskin neatly probes all these areas.

While I admire everything Raskin has to say, the book is pretty heavy on the psychology end. Myself, I enjoy cognitive psychology (especially books by Raskin's cohort Donald Norman), though some may find that part of the book boring. Even so, Raskin builds and backs his argument in a most eloquent and scientific manner. Especially if you design software or need to teach or train people to use computers, this book deserves a spot on your shelf. --Dan Gookin

From Library Journal

Falling somewhere between Donald A. Norman's The Psychology of Everyday Things and Ben Shneiderman's Designing the User Interface, Raskin's book covers ergonomics as well as quantification, evaluation, and navigation. Raskin was the original creator of the Apple Macintosh project before Steve Jobs took over and has a background in technology and art, which gives him a unique perspective on usability; recommended for university and large public libraries.Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Most helpful customer reviews

Jef Raskin was truly a visionary in the field of human interfaces and this book is a culmination of everything he learned over his lifetime. Jef was one of those who really cared about his work, and the fact that he was still involved in human interface design in his later years is only proof of this.

I would consider this book necessary reading for anyone who wants to think "outside the box" and look at human interaction at the simplest level of human thought--things not bound by windows and GUIs. I found the book delightful and easy to read, and many of the insights provided have stayed with me as I've continued to think about the future of user interfaces.

IMO the ideas and more importantly the very way of thinking in this book is still relevant in 2008, 8 years after it was published, for the very reason that it is not tied to any specific technology. In fact, Jef uses an example from a 1979 throughout the book.

With the kind of know-how and credentials that Jeff Raskin has, this should have been the DEFINITIVE book on modern interface design.However, I have to agree with some of the other reviewers who believe that this book was a missed opportunity. Although it contains some great content, especially in the first few chapters, Raskin too often turns his book into an advertisement for the Canon Cat (never heard of it before this book) and a forum to work out some truly half-baked notions.For example, at one point in the book, Raskin suggests that software publishers should offer their products on a "command by command basis". Can you imagine trying to edit a document and being told that you can't format your text in a particular way because you haven't bought that command? Under his proposed model, this type of thing would happen all the time. And don't even think about sharing documents, because there would be no ability to standardize the application's feature set across computers. Unfortunately there are quite a few of these kinds of ideas advanced in this book.The book starts very strong and I don't think that there is anyone better at covering the fundamentals than Raskin. Sadly he couldn't help himself from turning what should have been a great book into a scratchpad of ideas.

This is a book on software user interface design by the father of the Macintosh and the information appliance. Specifically, it is a collection of ideas on how software could be better designed to take into account human psychology and behavior.I have been using and developing software on computers for twenty years, yet I still find most software annoying and frustrating to use. I was looking for a book on user interface design that explains why computers are so frustrating, and also points to better ways of designing software that is easier for people to use. Raskin delivers on both, though some may find the book itself frustrating to use at times.Raskin calls out key ideas from each section in italics. One of the first and most important is "An interface is humane if it is responsive to human needs and considerate of human frailties". People cannot and should not have to remember what application is running or what commands are available, in other words what state or "mode" the software is in. The interface should minimize distractions so people can focus on the task they are trying to accomplish rather than on the software. Interfaces can accomplish this by encouraging habituation.Many of the ideas in the book, such as eliminating modes in software, and reducing the number of actions a user has to perform to accomplish a task, can be applied in current GUI (graphical user interface) systems. But many require designing completely new interfaces. Raskin proposes replacing the application-centric operating system model of today with a command-centric model where users download only the commands they need, and once on their system, commands are available at all times. This is an intriguing idea.Read more ›

+ I read this book cover to cover, which is seldom, since I usually have 3 to 8 other books lurking around to make up a certain boredom factor.+ His ideas are radical.+ This books made me aware about the real ugliness of modes (my personal daily mode error counter got installed).+ It made me wish for the global incremental search facility.- His ideas are radical (get the hint?): I doubt that without investment from a major global player in the computing industry, his ideas will just not catch on with the broader public audience, and hackers will dismiss his ideas as being too, well, non-hacker-wise. (Which is of course not a problem with the book, but with our industry in general.)+/- Sometimes the computing world he describes is too text-centered. I will always end up in discussions with my friend on how he wants to get a CAD package working with his ideas.- Sometimes there is this "I'm the guru, you know nothing about computers at all." attitude.Anyway, you should read it, just to know that there is something else than the button-menu world in GUI design.